Bluewater
GREENHITHE, KENT
Lend Lease Retail Partnership, one of the four major UK institutions that own Bluewater shopping centre, turned to Lighting Design International (LDI) to transform the Winter Garden’s underwhelming and dated lighting into an atmospheric and contemporary public dining environment.
During an initial visit to the centre LDI found the existing lighting levels were inadequate and inappropriate with a large percentage of illumination provided by halogen down lighters. Lend Lease wanted a brand new lighting scheme that would increase the levels of daytime illumination, reduce visual clutter and do so using the highest quality, energy saving LED technology and following a rigorous selection process, LDI specified EcoSpec Linear INT from Architainment; providing approximately 1800 fixtures of EcoSpec Linear INT in 3000K and one foot and four foot length variations.
EcoSpec Linear INT was installed to improve lighting levels and enhance visitor experience within both the central atrium seating area and the walkway running from the mall to the food counters. In the large dining area it was used to back light the garden-themed detailing that borders the entire atrium, surrounding diners in beautiful silhouettes. EcoSpec Linear INT was also installed within the walkway coving guiding visitors through the space to the various food kiosks. Home to a bright and interesting ceiling plane, the solid state lighting improves navigation and provides a better balance with the day lighting experienced in the central atrium. In addition to the EcoSense fixtures, Architainment also supplied Philips Color Kinetics iColor Cove MX PC to illuminate the circular, cove detail and ColorBlast PC to light up the glass ceiling; these elements together achieving the atmospheric and contemporary dining environment as specified in the brief.
Installation of the EcoSpec Linear INT was easily accomplished, with each “plug and play” unit being connected end to end as required. It was this simple methodology that appealed to LDI in particular as it can speed up time on site and greatly reduce the cost of installation and on-going maintenance, making it ideally suited to the interior retail environment. The entire range of EcoSense Lighting employs the most stringent LED binning process, which results in minimal visible variation of colour and a 2-step MacAdam Ellipse uniformity from fixture to fixture. In addition to the food, the colour temperature of the fixtures also blended seamlessly with other lighting installed as part of the scheme.
Commenting on the project, Graham Rollins, Lighting Design International said: “In addition to creating an all over charming and efficient lighting scheme for the Winter Garden, it was also essential that food retailer’s products were visually appealing at point of sale, so all lighting specified has a minimum of 80CRI. Daytime lux levels under the EcoSpec Linear INT are a minimum 350lx, and are reduced with dimming for a more subdued evening ambiance. There is no doubt that the EcoSense technology supplied by Architainment Lighting was integral in creating a charming, clean and efficient lighting scheme for one of the UK’s largest shopping centres.”
PROJECT CREDITS
COMPLETION DATE > April 2013
CLIENT > Lend Lease Retail Partnership
LIGHTING DESIGNER > Lighting Design International
PHOTOGRAPHY > Red Shift Photography